What type of assessment focuses on measuring how well a student is progressing in specific educational goals?

The focus of the correct answer revolves around measuring a student's progress in relation to specific educational goals, which is the hallmark of criterion-referenced assessment. This type of assessment evaluates a student's performance against a predetermined set of criteria or standards rather than comparing their performance to that of other students. This means that the goal is to determine whether the student has achieved the skills or knowledge outlined in the educational goals rather than measuring their standing within a broader population.

Criterion-referenced assessments are particularly beneficial in special education, as they allow educators to track individual progress over time and identify areas where a student may need additional support or instruction. By focusing on specific skills and objectives, this type of assessment helps ensure that instructional methods are tailored to meet the individual needs of the student.

While other types of assessments might provide valuable information about student performance, they do not primarily concentrate on the student’s progress toward specific educational goals in the same way. For instance, summative assessments are typically administered at the end of an instructional period to evaluate overall learning, while formative assessments are designed to monitor learning throughout the process and provide ongoing feedback. Diagnostic assessments aim to identify students' strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins but do not measure progress against specific goals.